West Coast hut wins Supreme Award
Custom-folded aluminium cladding accentuates the form of the building.
The lack of formal landscaping promotes the aesthetic of simple living.
Large glazed windows in the hut’s sleeping quarters provide expansive views out to the bush surroundings.
Lighting creates a soft and immersive atmosphere inside and on the exterior of the building.
The ensuite bathroom enlists a palette of rusty red, slate and monochrome.
Skylights represent the top of the smokestack in a traditional miner’s hut.
The timber interior surface of the Xlam mass timber CLT panels is left exposed and clear finished to represent a historic miner’s hut aesthetic.
A mezzanine floor creates a second living space within the structure.
The indoor-outdoor flow within the design connects the hut to its natural surroundings.
A West Coast bach has won the 2022 ADNZ Resene Supreme Architectural Design Award in the category of New Home up to 150sqm. The winners were announced at a gala awards ceremony on Friday 28 October at Te Pae in Christchurch.
Designed by Mitchell Coll of Fabric, the bach titled ‘Biv_Punakaiki’ is a reinterpretation of a historic miners’ hut, but with all the modern facilities to warmly welcome modern-day travellers to the West Coast.
Designed as a collaboration between Mitchell Coll and a Hong Kong-based architect, the building is rented as a high-end, short-term accommodation, and is the first in a series of buildings.
Mitchell Coll says the form of the bach took inspiration from the architecture and simple lifestyle of the mining community who settled in the region in the middle of the 19th century.
“The building takes its cues from many of the exterior chimneys repeated on historic gold miner huts. Internally, the sky-facing skylight represents the top of the smokestack. Like its mining predecessors, the cabin was to have as minimal touch on the land as possible. A concrete floor suspended on only a few concrete piles, with no formal landscaping, promotes the aesthetic of simple living,” said Coll.
ADNZ judges were impressed with the subtle historical references, considered lighting and refined detailing.
“The full timber interior surface of the Xlam is left exposed and clear finished to represent the historic miners’ hut aesthetic,” which the judges felt helped blur lines between the interior and exterior of the building.
Inside, the judges noted how the lighting design created an immersive experience with the hut’s bush surroundings: “The interior is intentionally underlit to promote a relaxing environment at night and to draw the focus to the central fire and pendant light that mimics the playful shadows of the bush seen during the day.
The building’s low-carbon materiality and craftsmanship also impressed the judges.
“Mass timber construction, in the form of cross-laminated timber (CLT) was chosen for its prefabricated off-site construction, thermal performance and negative embodied carbon. The aluminium cladding is fully custom folded with all trays to the top portion of the roof fluted to accentuate the form of the building and ensure minimalist detailing. A truly amazing project, worthy of the highest accolade.”
CEO of Architectural Designers New Zealand, Keryn Davis, said Mitchell Coll’s project was a magnificent bach to enjoy the West Coast bush, while also getting a taste of award-winning architectural design.
“What an opportunity to experience excellence in architecture, while exploring the beauty of Aotearoa. This project represents a commitment to sustainability, innovation and discovery of our past and our future. An inspirational and outstanding project,” said Davis.
In addition to Coll’s Supreme win, across the country there were seven national winners. The winners are Pippin Wright-Stow of F3 Design, Gareth Ritchie of Archco Architecture, Marcus Stufkens of Stufkens+Chambers Architects, Mark Callander of Creative Arch, Jon McAlpine of TGA Ltd, Werner Naudé of DCA Architects of Transformation and Ben Gilpin of Gil-plans Architecture.
Architectural Designers New Zealand (ADNZ) is a professional body for architectural designers and architects in New Zealand. Entries are received from members throughout the country.
